Chapter 1069: The Capital of the Xia Wind Kingdom

The capital of the Xia Wind Kingdom stood grand and imposing, its city gates towering into the sky.

A luxurious carriage soared directly through the gates, the emblem of the “Fan” clan emblazoned upon it, unmistakably declaring the identity of its owner. Within the capital, none dared impersonate the Fan clan, and the guards at the gates did not dare obstruct its passage, allowing the extravagant carriage to sweep in with unbridled majesty.

Inside the carriage, maidservants and guards surrounded the two seated figures—Dongbo Xueying and Fan Tianchong.

“Though there are a few cities in the Heart Realm Continent that can rival our Xia Wind capital, none surpass it in sheer size. It is the largest city in the entire realm!” Fan Tianchong spoke with evident pride, his voice brimming with reverence for his homeland.

Dongbo Xueying listened attentively.

Indeed, in terms of sheer scale, the Xia Wind capital was unparalleled.

The Five Ancestors of the Myriad Realms Kingdom, though slightly more powerful, were—according to Dongbo Xueying’s current knowledge—reincarnated beings who had arrived in the Heart Realm from other source worlds. Originally not native to this realm, they had banded together to form the Myriad Realms Kingdom, yet their internal cohesion was loose.

Even their cities were divided into five ancestral capitals.

“Look, that street there—Fenghua Street—is a den of indulgence and pleasure.” Fan Tianchong pointed into the distance, where dazzling structures shimmered with radiant hues, their allure palpable even from afar.

The carriage glided through the skies of the capital, appearing leisurely in its pace, yet in truth, it traversed vast distances in the blink of an eye, shifting from one landmark to the next.

One by one, Fan Tianchong introduced the marvels of the city.

Dongbo Xueying marveled at the sights—such was the grandeur of the Xia Wind capital, where wonders of all kinds could be found! Even the trade of slaves had formed a massive marketplace here.

“The laws of our Xia Wind Kingdom are strict—killing is absolutely forbidden. Even kings and lords from foreign nations must behave themselves here. Even Cosmic Gods dare not act recklessly. But for those of our status, it’s different. You are a High Guest of the Fan clan—more esteemed than most Cosmic Gods from foreign lands. Within the Xia Wind Kingdom, the title of High Guest carries weight. Killing a few below the Chaos Realm is but a trivial matter, though it’s best to exercise restraint. Those with significant backgrounds or origins should not be slain carelessly, lest minor troubles arise,” Fan Tianchong explained.

“Understood,” Dongbo Xueying nodded. As an outsider, he preferred to remain low-key in the capital. By nature, he was not one to bully others—even in the Southcloud Kingdom, he only acted against those who provoked him or when he encountered true fiends.

With the Fan clan’s influence, most issues could be resolved with ease.

“Though killing is forbidden, slaves are an exception. Many purchase them for dissection or bodily modifications. Slaves are usually captured fiends, criminals, or foreign cultivators seized in wars,” Fan Tianchong added.

—

On a street in the Xia Wind capital, two cultivators walked side by side, deep in conversation. One of them was Batuchen, whom Dongbo Xueying had once rescued in the Tu Hua Kingdom.

“Master Senior Brother has a particular fondness for the fine wines of the Six Winds House. If you can please him, he’ll surely guide you well,” the shorter youth beside him advised with a grin.

Batuchen nodded. “Right.”

He had since joined a minor sect within the capital—one small enough that its patriarch was merely a tenth-level Chaos Realm expert, rumored to be a descendant of the Cang clan. Among the disciples, only the senior brother had reached the ninth level of the Chaos Realm, and it was he who typically instructed the others.

“For now, I’m just an outer disciple. If I can win Master Senior Brother’s favor and grow stronger, I’ll eventually gather enough resources to join a greater sect,” Batuchen thought to himself. “One day, I will return to the Tu Hua Kingdom and avenge my clan!”

But for now?

He would remain diligent and low-key. In the Xia Wind capital, his strength was insignificant.

“Hmm?” Batuchen suddenly looked up in shock, spotting a magnificent carriage pulled by eight golden-clawed flame beasts soaring through the sky. The carriage exuded an overwhelming aura, its flames casting shadows across a thousand miles. Seated within were two figures—one a towering, robust man whose presence seemed even more domineering than his old foe, the Patriarch of the Yang clan. The other was a youth in white robes.

“My savior,” Batuchen murmured, recognizing the white-robed youth as Ying Shan Xueying, the one who had rescued him.

The shorter youth beside him also looked up, but upon seeing the “Fan” emblem, he immediately averted his gaze and yanked Batuchen down. “Are you trying to get yourself killed? That’s a carriage reserved for the core disciples of the Fan clan! Staring at them could provoke their wrath—they’d crush you like an insect!”

“Ah.” Batuchen quickly lowered his head.

He knew it was rude to stare at a supreme expert. Some fiends, driven by bloodlust, might kill on a whim.

To slay the weak required but a thought.

“That’s Fan Tianchong, a prodigy of the Fan clan, highly favored by his family,” the shorter youth whispered, not daring to look up again. “His talent is extraordinary—he was even sent to oversee affairs in the Southcloud Kingdom. His status far surpasses even our sect master’s within the Cang clan. And that white-robed youth beside him? For Fan Tianchong to treat him so warmly, his strength and status must be on par. Such figures from the Fan clan walk unopposed in the capital—even foreign Cosmic Gods dare not provoke the three great clans here.”

Batuchen nodded.

“Let’s move on. Such people are beyond our reach,” the youth urged.

—

Within the Xia Wind capital lay an expansive mountain range, its vastness rivaling the entirety of the Southcloud capital. Yet in the grand scheme of the Xia Wind Kingdom, it was but a small corner.

This was the Fan clan’s domain.

The mountains exuded a chilling aura.

Dongbo Xueying and Fan Tianchong had long since disembarked from the carriage, flying side by side toward the heart of the territory. Behind Xueying trailed only a single attendant—a demonic dragon.

“Experts are everywhere,” Dongbo Xueying sensed faintly. The mountains pulsed with terrifying auras—some blazing with infernal flames, others churning with abyssal pools.

“I’ll take you to your quarters first. Don’t wander—some areas are forbidden. As a High Guest, you’ll soon receive instructions on the rules of the Fan clan’s territory,” Fan Tianchong said. “For now, you’ll be staying with four others—they, too, are part of this mission.”

No sooner had he spoken than they descended upon a mountain peak. The demonic dragon attendant landed silently behind them. Scattered across the peak were elegant, interconnected courtyards.

“Tianchong, so this is Ying Shan Xueying?” Three men stood nearby, their auras distinct—one sharp as a blade, another reserved and steady, the last enigmatic and elusive. The one clad in snow-white armor, his gaze as piercing as a blade, exuded a bloodthirsty aura that seemed to engulf Dongbo Xueying.

As a master of the Illusory Void, Xueying remained unfazed by such intimidation.

Yet he already recognized this challenger.

Fan Tianyun—brother to Fan Tianchong, but far more talented. A warrior who had once ventured into the Black Fiend Marsh, battling two Cosmic Gods alone before retreating unscathed.

“Hmph. This time, our Fan clan has chosen five representatives, yet two are outsiders—pushing me aside,” the armored man sneered, his hooked nose accentuating his disdain. “He doesn’t seem all that impressive.”

“Elder Brother, this was the patriarch’s decision,” Fan Tianchong said with a strained smile.

“Boy, you and that Ice Plains tribesman—don’t think it’ll be so easy to represent our Fan clan,” Fan Tianyun scoffed. If he could defeat either Xueying or the other outsider, he would demand to take their place.

But without a victory, he dared not challenge the clan’s decree.

“Don’t worry, I won’t break the rules,” Fan Tianyun smirked. “Let’s go.”

“You think you’re worthy of representing the Fan clan?” The other two core disciples beside him jeered before departing.

“Elder Brother ranks among the top five core disciples of the Fan clan. Yet this time, two outsiders were chosen over him. Many within the clan are dissatisfied—especially with you and the other outsider,” Fan Tianchong transmitted privately.

Dongbo Xueying said nothing.

Dissatisfied?

They would soon learn their place. In the world of cultivators, strength spoke louder than words.